DIY Painted Drop Cloth Curtains

Disclosure: This kid friendly, stain resistent, DIY Painted Drop Cloth Curtain tutorial and shopping trip has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WorryFreeMessFree #CollectiveBias

I've been wanting to update my deck window treatments for about ten years. While my kids were growing up, I put a lot of home improvements on hold. I loved when my kids were little, but they were also messy. Having kids comes with fingerprints and stains on your walls and fabrics.

My kids are older now, but still messy so I decided to stop putting off decor updates. Instead, I've decided to find solutions that will let my kids be kids while I enjoy my home. 

This is the first of those solutions. I decided to take down the window blinds covering our patio door and hang some kid-friendly DIY Painted Drop Cloth Curtains. The curtains are made using canvas drop cloth, paint and then sprayed with Scotchgard™ Fabric & Upholstery Protector.

How to Paint a Vinyl Roller Shade Using Stencil

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ScrubMyWay #TeamDishCloth #CollectiveBias

Sometimes I love being in my kitchen and then there are times when I don't. When I go in there and things are grimy and cluttered I just want to throw the whole kitchen in the trash and start fresh. Unfortunately that's not possible so the only thing I can do is clean it so it can feel like my happy place again. This weekend was rainy and gloomy so I decided to give my kitchen a deep clean which ended with a fun project for the window over my sink. 

Office Bookshelf Update

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias

Last month I started reading Change Your Home, Change Your Life™ with Color by Moll Anderson and was inspired to declutter and update the look of my office bookshelves. This first phase wasn't hard after seeing all of the inspiration in Moll's book. Let me show you what I did.

First, I decluttered the shelves by taking everything off. Then I dusted and wiped the surfaces.

Pops of Color Mini Home Tour + What Decor Book I'm Reading This Month

Today's mini home tour and book feature have been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LiveColor #CollectiveBias

I'm reading a new book this month that's challenging me to think differently about how I decorate my home. The book, Change Your Home, Change Your Life™ with Color by Moll Anderson is a book slash journal that's helping me decide which colors inspire me most and how I can incorporate them into my home decor.  

I'm coming up on 15 years as homeowners and one of the things I never knew before buying my home is how challenging it could be to decorate it. For several years, it was hard to figure out what would look best together so I left the walls painted in the same builders beige and decorated in mostly dark colors. My guest bathroom was one of those rooms where I'd chosen colors I'd seen used in most homes in my area. I never really felt excited about this space.

Then one day, I decided to incorporate the colors I loved into my decor and I started seeing my home differently.

How to Organize Your Coffee Bar

I absolutely love being a homemaker and working from home because it's like getting to play house every day as a grown up. This week I wanted to create a dedicated space for my coffee and supplies. It needed to be an organized, cheery and a fun space to make my hot beverages in the mornings. I broke the process down into several easy steps.

Garden Themed Party | How to plan and decorate

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. This post was sponsored by Starbucks as part of an Influencer Activation. I received compensation and complimentary products to facilitate my review. #StarbucksCaffeLatte #MyStarbucksatHome #CollectiveBias

I've been so busy lately that I haven't connected with my girlfriends. We've tried over the past weeks to have a coffee date, but our schedules weren't linking up. I didn't want another week to go by without seeing them so I'm hosting a girls morning out garden party.

The theme of the party is about sowing seeds of time and nurturing friendships. Today, I'm showing you how fun and easy a garden party is to plan and decorate. 

How to Have a Clutter-free Bathroom Stockpile + DIY Tasseled Bath Tissue Basket

 Tips on how to have a clutter free bathroom stockpile, my DIY tasseled bath tissue basket and  shopping trip has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MegaPrepped #CollectiveBias

When I go into my master or guest bath I have a normal expectation that everything I need to manage and use that space is in there.

From the products I use for personal hygiene to the products I need to clean the bathrooms, I need it all to fit into that space.

It's especially challenging to get what you need in there without making it feel cluttered. While it's a challenge, it's definitely possible.

Today I'm going to show you three things you should keep stocked in your bathroom and ways to group, display and store those them. At the very end of this post, I'll show you a fun way to personalize a bath tissue basket. 

After School Homework Station | Before & After

My DIY after school homework station has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BTSwithHP #CollectiveBias

I've been all kinds of excited about sharing our after school homework station with you. You know how much I like for things to be organized so having this space for my kids was a must. Over the past two school years, the kids have been plopping down wherever to do homework on the laptops and tablets, but my son was having an issue when it ca time to type up essays and such. His screen was way to small for him to be typing and staring at while trying to complete longer project...hence the after school homework station.

The jewel of our home work station is the new HP Snow White All-in-One Touch Screen Desk Top. Did she just say, "touch screen?". Yes I did. This is one of the newest HP computers so if you look for it stores this week and don't see it, you can order it online and have it shipped to your home. The new HP has been redesigned and is ready to use straight from the box....no kidding! I thought for sure they hadn't sent everything I needed when I didn't see a processor, but the processor is built into the computer screen. The alone is a huge space saver. Not having to store that bulky machinery leaves more space at our home work station for my kids school supplies. This computer meets all of our needs in the amount of storage it provides for their school and gaming activities. Plus it's great quality, stylish and super affordable.

Before we jump into the details of our home work station, be warned...there are tons of yummy pictures. I want to give you all of the details you need to create a space like this for your home.

To start our space we used this random wall in our family room. It's in a crazy location and really serves no purpose in the space. Until now, this is what it looked like and the space was never used.

The first thing I knew I wanted at our homework station was a board where we could place notes for one another. I used a black poster board, washi tape, sticky notes and a calendar to create one for our homework station. Each of the kids have space on there where we can leave sticky note messages for one another. 

   

My Family Room Tidy Routine

One of my favorite rooms in my house is the family room. It’s a second living room of sorts, just outside of the master bedroom. It is pretty much the room I’ve ben able to pursue my creative style a bit more than any of the others in our home.

We use this space for “family stuff” like movie nights and entertaining friends.

It’s so bright and airy during the summer and a great place for my plants to flourish.

I usually tidy up in here a few times a month by cleaning everything the surfaces top to bottom using my Spring Clean kit .

 

How to Make a Simple Labeled Laundry Basket

This blinged out laundry basket tutorial and shopping trip has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SnuggleUpMoments #CollectiveBias

I love the smell of freshly laundered linens. When the clothes come out of the dryer smelling fabulous, it feels like a small victory against the ever growing piles of laundry.

To make my laundry smell amazing, I use Snuggle® Ultra Blue Sparkle fabric conditioner and blue iris bliss® Snuggle Scent Boosters®. I buy mine at Sam's Club and it last, like forever when used according to the package instructions. When used together a little bit goes a long way in making the laundry feel and smell fabulous.

When my husband forgets to add them to the wash I feel a little down inside as I fold our bed and bath linens. The Snuggle® scent makes folding laundry so much more pleasant as the linens makes our entire bedroom smell yummy.

Not only that, but the Snuggle® makes the linens so soft that we always look forward to that first night after putting the clean sheets on the bed. Freshly laundered sheets with a little bit of Snuggle® fabric conditioner and Scent Boosters® make crawling into bed a luxurious event. I think I actually breath a sigh of relief when I slide my feet under the sheets and pull the blankets up to my neck.

The goal of our master bedroom and en suite, is to have a resort type feel at home. To do that, we buy nice linens and keep them soft and fresh using fabric conditioner.

The key to keeping them soft is fabric conditioner removing from the dryer as soon as they are dry. I've been slacking in that area, so for inspiration I created a labeled linens basket. Let me share a quick tutorial showing you how I made mine.

Best Tips for Pampering House Guests

My Best Tips for Pampering House Guests and shopping trip has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

#PreparedWithCVS #CollectiveBias

When my husband and I first married, I loved spending the night as his dad and step-moms house. They live almost two hours from us and some nights we'd head there after Germaine got off work. We'd get there after they'd gone to bed and find the light on in the guest room, fresh linen and a fully stocked guest bath for us to use.

I loved being their guest and daughter-in-law. As I began to build my home, I mimicked some of the  hospitality traits I learned from my mother-in-law and I'm going to share them with you today.

With three children still at home and a home office, we don't have a dedicated room for guest, but we do make guest feel comfortable when they come sleep on our couch or air mattress. 

We prepare the space using the following six tips as a guideline.

DIY Framed Greeting Card

It doesn't always take a lot of money to create beauty in your home. Over the years, I've challenged myself to find frugal ways to decorate my home. We were a one income family, by choice, for years while my children were young. We didn't have a decor budget so I had to be really creative in my efforts to decorate my home.

I picked up on an inexpensive way to fill spaces with framed art using greeting cards.

Wooded Dinner Party | How to Plan an Outdoor Party on Short Notice

Today's inspiring wooded dinner party plan and shopping trip has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #StouffersHoliday #CollectiveBias
We have friends over almost every weekend and sometimes getting a meal together can be a challenge. Especially a last minute meal.

The good news is, it doesn't have to be. I'm going to share some of my favorite short notice party tips with you. They are going to help you pull together a fun party at short notice without going nuts.
Never again will you get all frazzled, when you have these solid party planning tips in your arsenal. 

Prepping Your Guest Bath for the Holidays Plus a Fall Decor Tutorial

I'm so excited we're having Thanksgiving dinner at my house this year. I love hosting and rarely become stressed when pulling events together. I've learned to shop, prep and clean ahead of time so I'm not stuck doing it all the day of the event. I love making my family and friends feel at ease when they come over. I want them to feel refreshed and full of joy after having spent time with my family.

To make sure the experience is the same for me, I break my tasks down into two categories when prepping for Thanksgiving. In the weeks leading up to the special day, I focus on cleaning and decorations. 

To prepare my guest bathroom for the holidays I create a list of things I need to clean. I jot down details of my overall cleaning plan including  areas that may need extra attention. 

Some areas that get extra attention are ones I overlook on a regular cleaning days.

How to Make a DIY Recycled CD Clock

My recycled cd clock tutorial and shopping trip has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BringingInnovation #CollectiveBias

I consider myself to be pretty tech savvy, but a technological advance has slipped away from me unnoticed.

My son is in Spanish II this year and I had a CD-Rom from several years ago I thought would help him practice.

It hadn't been used in years, and I never threw it away because I thought one of my children would need it one day. Well that day came and as we inspected the seven devices we have, we learned that none of them have disk drives....GASP!!!

My son calmly informed me that people aren't using compact disks via computer anymore. Everything is downloaded now.

WHAT!?!

So what do I do with all of the educational CD's?  I decided to repurpose them starting with a fun DIY recycled picture frame clock.

5 Tips for Decorating With Mirrors

Mirrors have quickly become one of my favorite ways to decorate a space. They come in so many shapes, sizes and styles and can really set the tone for the way you decorate a space.

Mirrors not only beautify a space, but they bring in light and add depth to a room because of their reflective properties. 

They can also be multipurpose. While on vacation I got some ideas on how to incorporate function into mirrors. 

I'd never seen this done before and it's amazing how the one space on back of the bathroom door serves two purposes.

And this mirror from our room with the beautiful sconces attached to the mirror was genius. 

In a small space having the lighting placed in front of the mirrors makes the space feel larger and brighter.

These two mirrors changed the way I thought about using mirrors in my decor.

Outdoor Hydration and Snack Tablescape Idea

Today's Outdoor Hydration and Snack Tablescape Idea and #HydrationToGo CVS shopping trip has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

We have two decks, one each on the main and lower levels of our home. 

During the summer we use our lower deck the most because it's nice and shaded. I have table on that deck and love staging it for an afternoon out back.

There are a few essentials I like to use when staging that table. Some are decorative while others are necessary. 

When staging my table to just sit out side my goals is snacking and hydration. I start planning around that idea by bringing out beverages and containers. 

What we drink usually depends on whatever I picked up on sale. This week it was vitaminwater at CVS Pharmacy. We keep a few of these on hand to go in our gym bag or to grab anytime we're outdoors during the summer.

How To Clean Your Bathroom in 7 Gross Free Steps

This post has been compensated. All opinions are mine alone. 

The last week of June, we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off. 

We were leaving for vacation and wanted to get the house in tip top shape.

Germaine tackled the laundry and dishes while I tackled the bedroom and bathroom. 

The bathroom was a mess from me mostly. When doing my hair and makeup, I would leave everything on the sink. On top of that, my kids were leaving the toilet paper rolls in the bathroom which usually ended up on the floor.

I was running low on cleaning products so before I got started I went by Dollar General to get what I needed. 

Using the methods for bathroom cleaning I'd picked up from watching hotel housekeeping, the bathroom was clean in seven easy steps.

These steps make the whole bathroom cleaning process seem less gross.

Symmetric Collage Wall | Gallery Wall

I've finally jumped on the collage wall band wagon and I'm gonna ride it until the wheels fall off. 

This is my first attempt which I tried on my entry way wall. I chose this wall since I'll be repainting it soon, that way if I messed up I could just patch the nail holes before painting.

But y'all....I ended up loving it thanks to all of your feedback. When I posted the four different groupings on my instagram I had in mind for the collage/gallery wall, many of you picked the one I liked best.

Do It Yourself Frugal Framed Art Ideas

I love decorating my home with pretty stuff just as much as the next gal, but I don't intend on breaking the bank to do it.

Before I spend money on home decor items I search my Instagram 'likes' archive or my Pinterest boards for ideas on how I can recreate what I want for less. 

For instance, I wanted to create a gallery wall so instead of buying brand new frames and